


What Really Matters

by imaginary_golux



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-04
Updated: 2012-06-04
Packaged: 2017-11-06 19:54:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/422611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aphrodite knows what power really is.  Written for Porn Battle XII.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Really Matters

Ares thinks war is power, thinks killing men is the ultimate triumph. Aphrodite smiles and nods when he boasts of his prowess, brings him wine and ambrosia and makes impressed and delighted noises, flatters him with her attention and her devotion. She never tells him the truth.

Killing a man is easy – a sword thrust, a poisoned goblet, a little shove at the wrong moment. Even Aphrodite can do that – even Hestia could, if she ever needed to, though she never will, firmly under Zeus’s protection as she is. Killing is not power. Making a man beg…now that is power. Making him weak and pliant beneath you with nothing but words and a single hand unbinding flowing hair…making him whimper with nothing but a movement of one’s thighs, a breath of gentle air against his neck…Aphrodite could tell Ares a thing or two about power, but she’s never going to. Making a god kneel to worship one is not something Ares could understand.

For one thing, it would hurt his feelings, and Ares is unpleasant when his feelings are hurt. For another thing, he’s so very useful, and Aphrodite is not one to give up anything of use. And finally, she will never tell him because it would take away some of her power, and Aphrodite knows full well that she needs every drop of power she can squeeze out of him, out of Hephaestus, out of Zeus and Adonis and Hermes and every other god or man who lusts after her, because every bit of power she has is one that can’t be used against her.

So she smiles, and kisses Ares with her smiling mouth, and listens to him boast, and waits for her turn, because when it comes she’s going to make him beg.


End file.
